David Cameron clashed with the new Pope yesterday over his claims that the Falkland Islands had been ‘usurped’ by the British.

Pope Francis, the former Cardinal of Buenos Aires, believes the South Atlantic territories are ‘Argentine soil’.

But the Prime Minister said yesterday that he ‘respectfully’ disagreed with him and called on him to accept the result of the recent Falklands referendum.

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Vocal: Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured right today at a press conference in Brussels, today said he disagreed with the new pope, Francis I, pictured left at a Mass this morning, over the Falkland Islands

Referring to the method used in the
Vatican to denote that a new Pope has been elected, Mr Cameron said: ‘As
it were, the white smoke over the Falklands was pretty clear.’

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His intervention threatens to undermine relations between Britain and the Holy See just days after Pope Francis took over.

Asked about the Pontiff’s views on
the Falklands at an EU summit in Brussels yesterday, he said: ‘Well I
don’t agree with him – respectfully obviously.

New role: Pope Francis prepares to greet cardinals - but it's his comments that the Falklands are 'Argentinian soil usurped by the British' which have garnered as much attention by the British government

The newly appointed Pope Francis stumbled after
being introduced to the College of Cardinals, and his comments on the Falklands have appeared to have given the bumps to David Cameron

‘There was a pretty extraordinarily
clear referendum in the Falkland Islands and I think that is a message
to everyone in the world that the people of these islands have chosen
very clearly the future they want.

‘And that choice should be respected by everybody.’

The white smoke is a reference to the voting procedure at the papal conclave in the Vatican.
After each vote, black smoke emerges from a chimney if no result has been reached. White smoke means a Pope has been chosen.

New job: Pope Francis is greeted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan as he meets the Cardinals for the first time

One friend: Pope Francis is greeted by Cardinal Angelo Sodano at a meeting in the Vatican - but British PM David Cameron appears not to have got off on the best footing with the Pontiff

Pope Francis was elected on Wednesday
night after several rounds of voting, just days after the residents of
the Falklands voted 99.8 per cent in favour of remaining a British
dependency.

Only three people voted against the
idea of remaining British. Nevertheless, the vote was still rejected as a
publicity stunt by Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner.

In 2010, the Pope, as Cardinal of Buenos Aires, declared: ‘The Malvinas are ours’.

Controversy: Pope Francis delivered a speech today as he met the Cardinals for the first time after his election, at the Vatican

The Argentinian Pope Francis has sparked with Kirchner in the past over Gay marriage and implied that women should not hold office

And during a Mass last year to mark
the 30th anniversary of the war, he said: ‘We come to pray for those who
have fallen, sons of the homeland who set out to defend his mother, the
homeland, to claim the country that is theirs and they were usurped.’

Argentina regards the Falklands as their territory even though Britain took control before Argentina existed as a nation.

They say the population is implanted,
even though Argentina’s population is mainly descended from Spanish
settlers who largely wiped out the native Americans.'

VIDEO 'I don't agree with him, respectfully' Cameron rebukes Pope

Unanimous verdict: Islanders celebrated late into the night after the referendum in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, meant only three votes out of 1,517 were cast against the islands remaining British

Kirchner maintains that the Falklands are Argentina's land. Pictured, the 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Port Howard, West Falkland during the war

Argentine soldiers, still with their weapons, waiting to be moved from Port Stanley airport shortly after the surrender of the Falkland Islands to the British force.

No fear: Then archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, washing feet of drug addicts at a rehabilitation center to addicts in a shantytown of Buenos Aires

Cleansing: Pope Francis, pictured washing the feet of Aids victims - it will be interesting to see how he plans to approach the subject as he takes over as the head of the Catholic Church

With the people: Pope Francis during the inauguration of a chapel at a shanty town in Buenos Aires - he asked for people to donate money to charity rather than pay to see his inauguration in Rome

Community-led: A photo taken in 1998 of the Pope saying mass in a shanty town in his home city - he has always championed the causes of the poor and needy